#DailyDevotion Don’t Be Afraid. Only Believe

Mark 5:35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

You can just hear the heart sink in Jairus. He got Jesus to come with him to heal his daughter but along the way Jesus stops and takes forever trying to figure out who touched him. He believed Jesus could heal her but now…he gets news his little daughter has died. His friends tell him, “Why bother the teacher any further?”

But Jesus would have none of it. Jesus tells the father, “Do not fear, only believe.”(Knowing Jesus you might just think he stood around looking for this woman on purpose, much like he waited for Lazarus to die in John’s Gospel.) Many times Jesus tells people in the Old and New Testaments to not fear but to believe. Jeremiah wrote, Lam 3:57-58 ESV You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ (58) “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. Indeed, Jesus has taken up the father’s cause in this passage. Jesus has heard your cries for mercy and has come near unto you. He has redeemed your life.

Moses wrote, Deu 20:2-4 ESV “And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people (3) and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, (4) for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’” You should know it is the Lord who fights your battles for you as well against your enemies, namely, sin, death and the power of the devil. Do not fear when your conscience troubles you but look to Jesus and believe. Even if worldly troubles come upon you do not fear. The cares of this world can only affect your body. They are temporary. Look to Jesus who cares for your soul and whose resurrection will raise your bodies to eternal life.

Jesus does not want us acting out of fear. We rarely do anything good acting out of fear. He has freed us from the slavery of the fear of death. When we act out of fear we normally commit some sort of sin because we think God doesn’t care for us or is going to do anything to help us. But Jesus does care for us even in our everyday lives. He tells us to not be afraid, only believe also. We have these promises: Rom 8:28 ESV “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” And Rom 8:38-39 ESV “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As Paul also says in this chapter we have received a spirit of slavery that fears but the Spirit that cries, “Abba, Father.” So turn to God your Father in every trial and tribulation and do not fear but believe. He cares for you.

Almighty God and Father, your son Jesus Christ bids us to not fear but believe. Continually give us your Spirit that we may be freed from the slavery of fear and continually look to you for every good thing for the sake of your son Jesus Christ, in who name we pray. Amen.